Media advisory issued February 3, 2003, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org.

Good Pruning Tools Make the Job Easier

ARDMORE, Okla. — The dormant season is the time of year to prune trees and most shrubbery, and February is an excellent time to finish up pruning jobs. Noble Foundation horticulturist Dooly Barlow has some pruning tool tips that will make the task easier.

"Pruning is a chore with loppers that are not sharp or that don't cut properly — a sharp blade makes pruning easier and less time consuming," Barlow said. "If you have to cut the same site on the limb a second time, the loppers are not working properly."

It's best to purchase the by-pass (scissor-type cutting action) loppers shown in Photo 1. Generally these have a hooked blade, and they should be the type that can be tightened and sharpened. The handles should measure at least 26 inches.

For bigger limbs, saws are needed. Here are a few examples of hand tools that have been great on residential grounds, according to Barlow.

"One is a folding saw that has a cutting edge of 8 to 12 inches. Some of the newer blade designs have the teeth set inside instead of outside, resulting in less drag and friction," he said. "This small design is handy and has the ability to get into tight spots and remove a limb."

If the previous saw sounds too small, and you don't need the folding blade, step up to a 24-inch bow saw (see Photo 2) to do the work around the house. A rusty, dull blade makes this tool inoperative, so be sure to have spare blades for this tool to get the real precision cuts.

"For bigger limbs, an electric saw may fit the bill," Barlow said. "No more mixing gas and oil with an electric saw, and most of the electric saws are lighter and smaller, not to mention quieter." An oil reservoir for the chain bar will have to be filled occasionally, he added.

A pole pruner with an interchangeable lopper head is an excellent tool for those who have overhead jobs to do and don't like standing on ladders. Either head works well from the ground level.

"The lopper head is activated by pulling a rope at ground level that is attached to a lever that closes the scissor-type action," Barlow said. "This can be used with one six-foot fiberglass section or all three sections."

Remember to make cuts close to the main limb in such a way that a stub is not left after the pruning is completed, Barlow said.

"Studies have shown that pruning paint is not necessary if pruning is done correctly," he said.

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Photo cutlines:

Photo 1 — Left: scissor-type loppers Right: scissor-type hand pruners

Photo 2 — Left: 24-inch bow saw Right: folding saw

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release